Mirzagha Ali oghlu Aliyev -an Azerbaijani Soviet theater and film actor, People’s Artist of the USSR, the winner of two Stalin Prizes of the second degree was born on October 25, 1883 in Hovsan settlement of Baku. In 1893-1896, he studied at Muslim religious school in Persian and Arabic, in 1897-1899, went to the Baku State Russian-Muslim School, and in 1899-1900, at the Baku Vocational College. In 1900-1901, he worked at the Baku Taghiyev factory. Mirzagha Aliyev‘s path to the theater is similar to the path followed by G. K. Sarabsky and many others: young factory worker Aliyev got acquainted with the actor of one of the Baku amateur companies M. Muradov in 1901. Soon he left the work at the factory. At that period, Aliyev put up playbills and sometimes took part in amateur performances. In 1902, he was entrusted with the small role of a servant in M. F. Akhundov’s play “Dervish Mesteli Shah”. After the debut of the newspaper, an increasing interest of the audience to the young actor was noted. The spectators were admired by the images of Shakhmarbey created by M. Aliyev (“Fakhraddin’s grief” by N. Vezirov), and many others. In 1906-1907, M. Aliyev headed the “Hamiyyat” theatrical group that made shows mostly in industrial districts of Baku. Soon he joined the theater group of the “Nijat” society. Like many other older actors of Azerbaijan, M. Aliyev did not receive professional education. In 1905-1906, M. Aliyev performed very successfully in vaudevilles (translated and original comedy plays with music) preceding the comedy genre in Azerbaijan.

In 1908, he appeared in the “Irshad” newspaper calling on the Baku intelligentsia to organize a publishing partnership to publish works by Azerbaijani writers, poets and playwrights. In 1909, he became one of the initiators of the opening of the Russian-Azerbaijani women’s school. Mirzagha Aliyev died on 25 October 1954, in Baku. One of the streets of Baku is named after him.

Source: Azerbaijan news State Agency